Articles tagged: decorating and design
home & garden: Reusing found objects easily updates outdoor living spaces
Posted: Aug 09, 2010Everybody’s buzzing about it. Wanting to throw their careers away and jump on the bandwagon. Wanting to join the hunt, the ultimate quest, the grand pursuit of … finding the perfect OBJECT. A "piece" with ... Read more »
Bowling alley spaces in Pinckney home open to better proportioned rooms
Posted: Jul 08, 2010Open vistas are great if there is something worthy to see, but if your view is linear and stretches from one end of the kitchen, through dining into living, that’s not so good. Ranch homes ... Read more »
Ann Arbor ironman Scott Lankton makes architectural art and furniture that endures
Posted: May 20, 2010Scott Lankton takes 20-foot bars of cold, hard steel and adds heat, muscle and his artist’s touch to forge graceful gazelles, delicate ginkgo leaves, intricate bouquets of roses and much more.For 30 years, this Ann ... Read more »
Urban Ashes saves dead trees from the mulch pile to make picture frames, fine custom furniture
Posted: May 13, 2010For Paul M. Hickman and his new Urban Ashes Collection of functional art furniture and picture frames, dead urban trees are just the beginning. The Ann Arbor fine furniture maker, graphic and commercial artist and ... Read more »
Humor: Real Estate 101 - There's nothing fresh paint and decoratively rolled hand towels won't fix
Posted: Apr 02, 2010Downstairs bathroom: The "after" photo.I’m sitting in my car outside my house, slouched low in the driver’s seat, watching. Right now it’s 3:22 p.m. I can’t go back until 4 o’clock. Even though it’s raining, ... Read more »
Clunky kitchen makes way for family entry and open kitchen in historic home
Posted: Apr 01, 2010Original kitchens in historic homes are usually spacious and inefficient. If they had counters at all, they were usually equipped with drain boards for the sink. Typically, appliances appeared to be added with no particular ... Read more »
Expanding a country cottage to add comfort and accommodate guests
Posted: Mar 25, 2010People are preparing for retirement in various ways. It’s not for everyone to transition into a condo or townhouse. Sometimes there is a lake cottage that has been the recreation spot for a family for ... Read more »
Staging a house can bring a better price, quicker sale
Posted: Mar 25, 2010With “For Sale” signs popping up like spring tulips, sellers are looking for ways to separate their homes from the pack. While sales, especially in the lower range, have been relatively brisk as buyers grab ... Read more »
Awkward angles in house straightened out to allow curbless shower
Posted: Mar 18, 2010You know when a room ‘just doesn’t feel right.’ The reason, however, may not be evident. If your room seems large enough, you may wonder why it doesn’t work for furniture. If you have windows ... Read more »
Centralizing the kitchen helps centralize living in this home
Posted: Mar 11, 2010The volume of space in homes is usually an issue. More often than not, there is not enough volume, but the opposite can cause problems as well. Rooms can be cavernous and dwarf furniture arrangements. ... Read more »
Branch Hill Joinery sells enduring style with Amish-made kitchen cabinets and furniture
Posted: Feb 18, 2010Ann Gordon didn’t set out to start an Amish furniture and kitchen cabinetry business nearly 15 years ago.She was just looking for the perfect bookshelf - a solid wood piece with clean lines and a ... Read more »
Home & Garden: The basics of painting a room
Posted: Feb 17, 2010“I’m going to paint my living room, and I have never painted before. Any advice?” - Steve P., Whitmore Lake Taking the time to properly prepare a room for painting can make the job easier ... Read more »
Slight rearrangement results in great floor plan for home
Posted: Feb 04, 2010It is (still) amazing to me to see how shifting the kitchen sometimes can profoundly improve an entire floor plan and improve traffic flow. People are hesitant to relocate the kitchen, worrying that such a ... Read more »
With slideshow: Northeast Ann Arbor house remodeled, expanded for 'aging in place'
Posted: Feb 04, 2010Ann Arbor architect Edwin Wier set out to prove that practical and beautiful isn’t a contradiction in terms. Janice Tainsh wanted to plan for the future. She and her husband, Peter, had lived in their ... Read more »
Tips for organizing your home office in style
Posted: Jan 27, 2010A friend recently told me that January is a month of perseverance. Honestly, I couldn't agree more! It's a month you just try and get through. Recovering from the holidays, making resolutions and being trapped ... Read more »
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